Sergio Hernández (Tenerife, 1978) is an athlete who settled in Lanzarote when he was only 12 years old, so as he says, "he is more 'conejero' than 'chicharrero' now." Two years ago, Hernández started practicing archery by chance after his wife saw a publication about this sport on social media and encouraged him to try it because of his good aim.
Initially, the archer didn't know that this sport was also practiced in Lanzarote, but he immediately contacted the club and signed up to start training.
Hernández says that "he didn't expect to do so well in this sport," and he has already competed in several championships where he has become the runner-up of the Canary Islands in archery, fourth in the Spanish Championship, and has managed to win two gold medals in the Canary Islands League and the Pilar Luque Championship.
The athlete finished this season, although there are two during the year, so the second will begin in September. "On one hand, there is indoor shooting at 18 meters with a 40-centimeter target, and on the other hand, the season is outdoors in a football field or another open space where you shoot at a distance of 50 meters with a 122-centimeter target," he explains.
How Archery Works
In the outdoor category, a total of 72 arrows are shot in two rounds of 36 each. "If you shoot 72 well, that's 720 points, the maximum you can score, although it's almost impossible to do, so you add up the points you get in each shot of the two rounds," Hernández points out, noting that this is done in the qualifiers.
"In the playoffs, it's different because each player shoots against the other, and it's only three arrows. If, for example, I score more than the other person, it would be two-zero for me, and if in the next round the rival beats me, we would be tied two-two, and one point is added to each. The one who reaches six is the winner," he continues.
In his case, he plays in the barebow category, named so because, unlike Olympic archery, it doesn't have a sight or stabilizers. "We shoot instinctively," he points out.
On the other hand, although the archer belonged to a club, he says that he has currently left it and is considering other options to sign for a new one.
In addition, Hernández encourages anyone who is curious about this sport to practice it. "It is an activity in which you exercise the mind, concentration, the back, and the shoulders because opening the bow 80 or 150 times, as those of us who compete do, is tough," he says.
Training Routine
As with any other sport, training is a very important part of achieving good results and giving your best in competitions. Sergio Hernández details that the official number of training sessions for a club is two per week, but "when you are in a competition, you need more training days." However, his passion and desire to grow make him train almost daily. "I have reached where I am because I have put in the hours, not because I am better than anyone," he emphasizes.
And since the archer finished working, he went directly to train "four or five hours until it got dark."
A Sporting Advance Impossible Without Economic Support
The athlete's good level is evident with the achievements in different competitions, but his aspiration goes further. "You evolve by going to championships, but I only have some friends who help me as best they can, and I am grateful for that, but when I went to the Spanish Championship, for example, it cost me 800 euros out of my own pocket because the Federation did not take charge of sending us there, since there were no mixed teams, so I had to go on my own," he declares.
The archer emphasizes that he would like to be able to attend European or international championships, but not having large sponsors makes it difficult to afford all the expenses. "I would like them to at least pay for the trip, I can take care of the rest, but there are many things like accommodation, flights, rental car, food, registration, etc...," he explains.
"If there were help, I think I would go even further because in competitions you meet archers with a higher level than you, and overcoming comes into play," Hernández reflects.
In this sense, he concludes by saying that "the support of institutions and companies is the only thing he lacks" even though he understands that "archery is not a sport that moves as much as football or basketball, but we are an Olympic sport and they should support us more, and not only in this category, but in others because there are very good athletes who are not given visibility because they have no possibilities."
